Vegetable steamers?

Nancy Young said:

I've been meaning to ask this for some time now. I'm curious.

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

I use all three methods. Usually the steamer insert on my
Calphalon. Sometimes collapsible thing (especially for tamales).
And for small amounts I use a sherbet container with holes poked
in the lid and microwave briefly.

-sw

Nancy Young said:

How do you accomplish that? [steam vegetables].

I have an old, small Farberware pot with a lid and a
perforated insert. Think of a pasta pot with a strainer
insert only much smaller. I've had the Farberware
pot for a long time but don't remember buying it.

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been meaning to ask this for some time now. I'm curious.

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

Or what.

I find the MW makes the veggies mushy. I just use a pot with a little
steamer basket. I can steam a whole head of cauliflower, cut, with about
1/2 cup of water.

Paul

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I've been meaning to ask this for some time now. I'm curious.

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

Or what.

Gosh it's been forever since I've used that little collapsable thing.

Come to think of it, I don't steam veggies that much - I either do stir-frys
or roast them in the oven. But the one veggie I always steam in the
microwave is asparagus.

e.

"KevinS" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Nancy Young said:

How do you accomplish that? [steam vegetables].

I have an old, small Farberware pot with a lid and a
perforated insert. Think of a pasta pot with a strainer
insert only much smaller. I've had the Farberware
pot for a long time but don't remember buying it.

Thanks for all the answers, everyone. Very interesting. I'm
thinking of picking up something, perhaps I'll get the collapsable
thing. Normally I use the microwave. I have a double boiler
insert, I always wished it was a steamer insert.

nancy

Nancy wrote on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:40:50 -0400:

NY> How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
NY> those little collapsable things? Just put a little water
NY> into a container and microwave them?

NY> Or what.

I've used "one of those collapsable things" for 20 years!

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

"James Silverton" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Nancy wrote on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:40:50 -0400:

NY> How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
NY> those little collapsable things? Just put a little water
NY> into a container and microwave them?

NY> Or what.

I've used "one of those collapsable things" for 20 years!

Funny, last time I had one of those was 20 some years ago!
They were all the rage then. I wasn't sure they still made
those anymore or if there was some newfangled thing.

nancy

In article <[email hidden]>,

Nancy Young said:

Thanks for all the answers, everyone. Very interesting. I'm
thinking of picking up something, perhaps I'll get the collapsable
thing. Normally I use the microwave. I have a double boiler
insert, I always wished it was a steamer insert.

I use the collapsable thingy and five minutes for summer squash, forty
five minutes for artichokes and until their hot for tamales. I use it in
two to five quart pots. It's versatile.

leo

--
<http://web0.greatbasin.net/~leo/>

On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:25:58 -0400, "Nancy Young" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"James Silverton" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Nancy wrote on Mon, 13 Aug 2007 21:40:50 -0400:

NY> How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
NY> those little collapsable things? Just put a little water
NY> into a container and microwave them?

NY> Or what.

I've used "one of those collapsable things" for 20 years!

Funny, last time I had one of those was 20 some years ago!
They were all the rage then. I wasn't sure they still made
those anymore or if there was some newfangled thing.

They better still make em. Two of the collapsible thingies broke off.
I guess my former-roomie may have pitched them because I cain't find
em. So I'll hit Target or some-such for another one. Love that
thing. MW is too much bother with plastic wrap and all. I know. I.
Am. Lazy. -----> sue me

TammyM

(TammyM) said:

On Mon, 13 Aug 2007 23:25:58 -0400, "Nancy Young" <[email hidden]>
wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Funny, last time I had one of those was 20 some years ago!
They were all the rage then. I wasn't sure they still made
those anymore or if there was some newfangled thing.

They better still make em. Two of the collapsible thingies broke off.
I guess my former-roomie may have pitched them because I cain't find
em. So I'll hit Target or some-such for another one. Love that
thing. MW is too much bother with plastic wrap and all. I know. I.
Am. Lazy. -----> sue me

They still make them. You can find them in almost any supermarket in
the kitchenwares section. I need to get another one as
well..although I just got some bamboo steamers from the Wok Shop...

Christine

Nancy Young said:

I've been meaning to ask this for some time now. I'm curious.

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

I have a collapsible steamer which works very well for things that have a
lot of moisture to be squeezed out (like spinach).

Quoted message said:

Or what.

I also have an "or what". LOL Actually, one of my 30 year old Revere Ware
pots came with a thing that works as either a steamer or a collander; I use
it for both (just not at the same time).

Jill

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

I've been meaning to ask this for some time now. I'm curious.

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

Or what.

nancy

I have a dedicated actual electric steamer purchased from Sears. It's a
kenmore product and I've had it since around 2000. It has multiple
stacking trays, a rice cooker gizmo, a egg tray and a timer. I use it
when I steam veggies and make hardboiled eggs in it as well. I don't use
it often for actual steaming of stuff but do like the way it makes
hardboiled eggs. I don't steam stuff often. I mostly nuke,roast or saute
veggies and meats I never steam. I don't like the taste of what it does
to rice so I never use the rice basket plus it takes forever to steam
rice in it something like 40 minutes IIRC. I mostly nuke leftovers.

Perhaps I should steam some shrimp...I've never tried that.

It makes up to 10 hardboiled eggs at one time unsupervised and I like
that just add water and set the timer and wait for the ding....makes work
lunch bag snacks mighty easy. I find steamed hard boiled eggs peel
easily; for some reason. The plug-in heating base section is a pain to
clean though I'm not that happy with the unit, too many cracks and
crevaces that need to be scrubbed. I use the unit around once a week.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

It'll be a sunny day in August, when the Moon will shine that night-
Elbonian Folklore

Nancy Young said...

Quoted message said:

I've been meaning to ask this for some time now. I'm curious.

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

Or what.

nancy

nancy,

The "blooming" trivet works great.

I've used a pasta pot with insert but it wasn't greatness.

I was on drugs when I bought an electric steamer. It went on to a "better
life through garbage" a week later.

My old Sunday brunch place does a worldwind biz of steamed broccoli and
asparagus. Maybe other dishes too. I've always meant to ask how they do it.

I also was asking for waffles for probably 10 years so I'm kinda/sorta shy
about asking any more questions. <VBG>

Andy

"Christine Dabney" <[email hidden]> wrote in message >

Quoted message said:

They still make them. You can find them in almost any supermarket in
the kitchenwares section. I need to get another one as
well..although I just got some bamboo steamers from the Wok Shop...

I have an electric one and I use it most days🙂 If it runs out of water it
just switches itself off🙂

This is the one I use:

http://www.johnlewis.com/Electrical/Small+Appliances/Cooking+Appliances/Steamers/549/230232831/Product.aspx

Nancy Young said:

I've been meaning to ask this for some time now. I'm curious.

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

Or what.

I have one of those "little collapsible things" somewhere - hardly ever
used it. Plus a friend sold me one of those "fancy steamer" things as
well. Never used it. I occasionally cook frozen peas in the MW (dunno
if that qualifies as steaming) - but that's about it.
I usually just use a pot.
--
Cheers
Chatty Cathy

Garlic: the element without which life as we know it would be impossible

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Nancy Young wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

I have a collapsible steamer which works very well for things that have a
lot of moisture to be squeezed out (like spinach).

Quoted message said:

Or what.

I also have an "or what". LOL Actually, one of my 30 year old Revere
Ware
pots came with a thing that works as either a steamer or a collander; I
use
it for both (just not at the same time).

I have used a colander at times, but it's not especially efficient as the
lid leaves huge gaps. I've been meaning to ask what people use for
some time now because every time it's a new adventure, how I get
vegetables steamed.

nancy

I use this small 'Micro-cooker' from Pampered Chef - I've had it for
years and use it almost every day in the microwave. It's not a steamer
as you use no water - (but you don't need water in the microwave anyway,
or, at most, a tablespoon or so), it has little steam holes on top.
Here's a link to it on pamperedchef.com:

http://tinyurl.com/zsjsa

Sharon

"Nancy Young" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

"KevinS" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Nancy Young said:

How do you accomplish that? [steam vegetables].

I have an old, small Farberware pot with a lid and a
perforated insert. Think of a pasta pot with a strainer
insert only much smaller. I've had the Farberware
pot for a long time but don't remember buying it.

Thanks for all the answers, everyone. Very interesting. I'm
thinking of picking up something, perhaps I'll get the collapsable
thing. Normally I use the microwave. I have a double boiler
insert, I always wished it was a steamer insert.

nancy

The collapsible things are sometimes a pain to clean. The edges snag the
sponge etc etc blah blah blah. Here's what you want:

http://www.target.com/gp/detail.html/sr=1-2/qid=1187095641/ref=sr_1_2/602-3020868-7943852?ie=UTF8&asin=B0000CFPBX

or:

http://tinyurl.com/2fomk3

See the stepped ridges on the bottom? The steamer nests into any of 3
Farberware pot sizes (3 quart, 2 quart and a smaller one whose size I don't
recall). All edges are smooth, so it's easy to clean. Really nice piece of
equipment.

Nancy Young said:

"jmcquown" <[email hidden]> wrote

Quoted message said:

Nancy Young wrote:

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

How do you accomplish that? Do you use a special pot? Or
those little collapsable things? Just put a little water into a
container and microwave them?

I have a collapsible steamer which works very well for things that
have a lot of moisture to be squeezed out (like spinach).

Quoted message said:

Or what.

I also have an "or what". LOL Actually, one of my 30 year old
Revere Ware
pots came with a thing that works as either a steamer or a
collander; I use
it for both (just not at the same time).

I have used a colander at times, but it's not especially efficient as
the lid leaves huge gaps. I've been meaning to ask what people use
for
some time now because every time it's a new adventure, how I get
vegetables steamed.

nancy

No, I think mine is like what was described as coming with a farberware pot.
It can be used as both a steamer or a strainer. I do have a collapsible
thing, too.

Jill